Rev. Dr. Christiaan Vonck

Rector, Faculty forComparative Study of Religions,Antwerp, Belgium

Rev. Dr. Christiaan Vonck

Rector, Faculty forComparative Study of Religions,Antwerp, Belgium

Welcoming the Church of Scientology to its new home in Brussels, Belgium, Rev. Dr. Vonck spoke from his 30 years of personal experience with the Church, urging “you, my dear friends, to utilize this Church to bring your good to the city—exactly as you did in so many other cities in Europe and around the world.” Praising Mr. Hubbard’s unceasing dedication to Mankind, Rev. Vonck observed, “Ron Hubbard stepped across the darkness of this world, giving light and life to the youth and to the people, telling them ‘Look, there is a future.’ And he never gave up. That is the message we all need.”

Video transcript:

I am happy to stand here to welcome this new Church and to tell you that I have witnessed the Church of Scientology for about 30 years already. I wish you, my dear friends, to utilize this Church to bring your good to the city—exactly as you did in so many other cities in Europe and around the world.

Ron Hubbard stepped across the darkness of this world, giving light and life to the youth and to the people, telling them, “Look, there is a future.” And he never gave up. That is the message we all need and that is the true value of this new Church we open today in Brussels.

Religion, whether it is this or that, can be defined as a system of beliefs and practices by means of which people—you and me—struggle with the ultimate problem of human life. It expresses their and our refusal to capitulate to death and to give up in the face of frustration, and to allow hostility to tear apart their human aspirations. As a Protestant believer it was not that easy to grow up in this country, Belgium. Relief came to us Protestants in the sixties only thanks to Pope John XXIII. Instead, the antithesis, we got dialogue. Let us have a dialogue with our neighbours, the Scientologists. Doesn't the Bible say in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 21: “Examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good.” And to be critical, that is good. That is very good. But we all have to start with ourselves.

And to conclude I would like to mention that beautiful quote of Ron Hubbard again: “On the day when we can fully trust each other, there will be peace on Earth.” The opening of this Church is certainly an important step to that day. I wish you a long life and thanks a lot.